"The End of the Space Age"

[Razgovory]

The problem with space is there's not much up there.  If we could bring back space-gold or space-spices or space-slaves, that would be one thing.  As it is, there's no incentive to go into space.

Ungodly amounts of free energy, either in the form of direct insolation or hydrogen and helium-3.

The energy is not free.  You have to go up there and get it.  Something that is really fucking hard.  Helium-3 would require intensive mining, something that would be rather difficult.

[jimmy olsen]

The problem with space is there's not much up there.  If we could bring back space-gold or space-spices or space-slaves, that would be one thing.  As it is, there's no incentive to go into space.

Ungodly amounts of free energy, either in the form of direct insolation or hydrogen and helium-3.

You could also beam down solar power from satellites.

[jimmy olsen]

More unexpected? The probability of their being life on Europa is nearly 100%.

No, it's not.  That's asinine.

Where there is water there is life.

[derspiess]

The problem with space is there's not much up there.  If we could bring back space-gold or space-spices or space-slaves, that would be one thing.  As it is, there's no incentive to go into space.

Nothing worth the cost, no. 

I guess I'm okay with some small-scale unmanned exploration, but only with a close eye on cost and some tangible benefits.

[HVC]

More unexpected? The probability of their being life on Europa is nearly 100%.

No, it's not.  That's asinine.

Where there is water there is life.

you're the reason people mistrust science

[Habbaku]

Whe're their is wator they're is life.

Fixed that for you.

[garbon]

The pessimistic, whiny tone of people who flail their arms about the shuttle program ending drives me up the wall.  They're the ones that are too short-sighted to realize that, well, sometimes you need to wait.

They're the Veruca Salts of the space program: the technological paradigm will eventually shift, but they just want to see it now, not four or six generations from now.

Can't fight the seether! 

[Razgovory]

More unexpected? The probability of their being life on Europa is nearly 100%.

No, it's not.  That's asinine.

Where there is water there is life.

And you base this on what?  The vast number of planets discovered by science that have both water and life?  It's not even know how or why life developed on Earth.  It's not entirely clear as to even when.  Life has never been observed spontaneously occurring.  For all we know, it could have been a one time event, and something occurs very rarely.  And since it's likely that oceans predate life, there is clear evidence that you can have water without life.

[Ideologue]

Well, we have decent hypotheses as to how, and we do know it was not at all long after the Late Heavy Bombardment.  Archaea and bacteria are extremely old, and evidently did not need much time (geologically speaking) to develop.  The abbreviated period between the formation and cooling of the Earth and the appearance of life suggests that unicellular organism are unlikely to be extremely rare.  Probably not "wherever there is liquid water" (Europa has its own problems, although it could have an ecosystem based on extremophiles as primary producers), but I find it very difficult to believe that Earth or its solar system are special.

Multicellular life is evidently more difficult to arrive at, but if it's common, I wouldn't be sure intelligent life would be that rare.  Hell, there are a half dozen species on Earth that approach human intelligence.  And intelligence is an obvious adaptation.

[Tonitrus]

My theory is that Europa is populated by mermaids.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

It's space, it's there and that's enough to guarantee that people will go.

as it is the space age is only about as old as the time between henry the navigator and the discovery of the americas. It's only just begun.

[The Brain]

The Space Age (v1.0) as it was envisioned in the 50s ended when Apollo was scrapped and focus shifted from grand exploration to orbit taxis. FWIW my impression is that if we don't suffer major civilizational setbacks we will see humans going into the solar system to do stuff instead of just planting the flag (a Space Age 2.0), but it won't happen soon.

[Warspite]

Helium-3 would require intensive mining, something that would be rather difficult.

God, everything's a sequel nowadays isn't it?

[Norgy]

Helium 2 - Faster Than The Speed Of Sound was quite decent.

[Ed Anger]

Helium-4: Electric Bugaloo was shallow and pedantic.